Love Good Beer

Innis & Gunn Canadian Cask

Sunday, July 5th, 2009 | Beer | 5 Comments

The good people at Innis and Gunn Brewing Co. brew delicious oak aged beer.  Aging beer on oak is nothing all that radical – many brewers offer oak aged beer.  However, Innis and Gunn’s contribution to the world of beer is somewhat unique; they age their beer for extended periods of time in old bourbon, rum and now Canadian whiskey barrels. In most of the oak aged beer I have previously enjoyed, the oak flavour plays a background role, enhancing the beers more natural flavours.  In all of Innis and Gunn’s beer, the oak is front and centre.  All of Innis and Gunn’s beer is brewed to complement the richly intense oaky flavour that a lengthy oak aging maturation period imparts – oak is what Innis and Gunn beer is all about.

I had the pleasure of enjoying Innis and Gunn’s Limited Edition Canadian Cask Oak Aged Beer this weekend. Of the three Innis and Gunn beer’s I have had, this is my favourite.  This Scottish brewed ale was created to celebrate Canada’s 142^nd birthday – what a great gift from our friends in Scotland.  Aged in Canadian whiskey barrels for weeks, this beer is packed full fruit and rich toffee flavours.

All three Innis and Gunn ales are delicious and I highly recommend them all.  I find even people who do not consider themselves beer drinkers will often enjoy the complexities of an oak aged Innis and Gunn beer.  Although I have never paired any of these fine beverages with a meal, I image they would complement a wide variety of foods.  I have both the bourbon cask and the rum cask aged beers in my cellar and I am looking forward to tasting the effect that aging has on oak aged beer.  Only 150 barrels of the Canadian Cask beer was brewed, so don’t waste to much time or you may miss out.

Cheers,

Erik

Tags: innis and gunn, limited edition canadian cask, oak aged beer